In the monitoring, control and regulation of production processes, such as for example injection moulding machines, machine tools, robot systems or suchlike, it is known to carry out the input of parameters for monitoring and control functions by means of digital inputs on a terminal or by the use of cursor keys via a display.
Thus, for example, the monitoring, the control and the regulation of injection moulding processes take place with the aid of the most diverse sensors. Thus, pressure, temperature, ultrasound or other sensors are known, which measure for example the pressure profile, the tool wall temperature, the melting temperature of a material to be processed in the course of the process or other variables in the course of the process. The measured data detected by the sensors are displayed graphically in curve profiles, which for example represent the corresponding process variable as a function of time, converted and evaluated. For this purpose, monitoring functions and real-time thresholds are for the most part used in injection moulding, especially for the process variables of tool internal temperature and tool wall temperature. A monitoring function calculates characteristic values from one or more curves, such as for example the maximum in a defined time window. These characteristic values are compared with preselected target parameters and, depending on whether the target parameters have been complied with or not, a defined action is triggered.
Examples of monitoring functions with injection moulding are “box entry-exit”, “box no entry”, “maximum”, “minimum”, “integral”, “vertical threshold”, “mean value”, “envelope curve” etc.
A real-time threshold performs a defined action as soon as the established threshold is exceeded or fallen below. The actions set by real-time thresholds are for example “switch a digital output” or “trigger optical signalling on a display screen”.
In the prior art, the monitoring functions and real-time thresholds are either digitally inputted or the limits are shifted in discrete steps by means of cursor keys in the form of hard keys or soft keys on a display screen, until they finally lie where the user wishes them to be. They can be displayed on the display screen in the curve view.
This kind of input or manipulation of monitoring functions and real-time thresholds, which are in each case also referred to as evaluation objects, is not very intuitive for the user and often requires special knowledge which not all users possess. It is therefore necessary to provide special training for personnel, which is time-consuming and expensive.